3D Printers and Printing

David Shircliff is the Technology Education teacher for Loudoun County schools. He has been teaching for 26 years, and loves when students have the “ah-ha” moment when they figure something out for themselves. A Surprise Start to 3D Printing Prior to the school purchasing the Afinia H800 3D printer, David Shircliff did not have experience with 3D modeling or printing. “It was actually a surprise when we got the 3D printers,” he says. “We came in, and it was just sitting there! We had an inkling it might be coming, and knew some school administrators had been researching school-friendly 3D printers, but we had no idea they had made the [Read more…]

Rod Batschelet is the Technology Specialist at Benson Village School in Vermont. In his role, Batschelet instructs teachers how to integrate new technology, such as 3D printing, into the classroom. He also has an Associates Degree in graphic arts, and a certification in technology from Champlain College. Introducing 3D Printing at Benson Village School Benson Village welcomed the Afinia 3D printer into their school system three years ago. “After I had talked about 3D printing for some time, our district technology manager suggested we move forward with the idea,” says Batschelet. “I did plenty of research to find what I thought would be the perfect fit. Over and over, I [Read more…]

Eric Haddad is Chief Problem Solver at DiFi3D (Dimensional Fidelity). DiFi3D makes product development accessible for ‘the little guy’ by keeping costs down in the prototyping phase by using the Afinia H800 and H480 3D printers. DiFi3D Makes Dream Designs a Reality Haddad 3D prints parts on the Afinia H480 and H800 3D printers, and assembles them to show his clients a completed prototype. Haddad started DiFi3D in 2012 as a side-gig, and has grown it into a full-time job that he’s passionate about. “I help people refine and visualize their dream design, and set their product on the path to reality. I work a lot with individuals, and many [Read more…]

Shane Helmich is the 7th and 8th grade PLTW teacher at Olive Peirce Middle School in Ramona, CA. He teaches Design & Modeling and Automation & Robotics courses, incorporating 3D printing into each. PLTW Building 3D Printing Experience Olive Peirce Middle School purchased the Afinia H480 3D Printer two years ago. “The principal gave me the go-ahead to get a 3D printer because we had some extra funds, and wanted to expand the STEM curriculum,” explains Helmich. At the time, Helmich did not have experience with 3D printing, so he researched the 3D printers on the market. “The Afinia brand was recommended by Project Lead The Way (PLTW)” Helmich says. [Read more…]

Kristine Mostyn is a Librarian at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina, NY. The library has an Afinia H479 3D printer and recently acquired an Afinia ES360 3D scanner. 3D Printing at the Library When the Afinia 3D printer arrived at the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, it was Librarian Kristine Mostyn’s first time using 3D printing technology. “It was fantastic. I picked up on it very fast. The first day we set it up, we were already printing. It was very easy, and the instructions were great. It was a relief that it worked right out of the box,” Mostyn explains. The Afinia 3D printer is used to print a Buddha figure. [Read more…]

Philip Youngblood teaches the Intro to Engineering Design and Biomedical Science classes at Central High School in Keller, TX. He recently won the Afinia H480 3D printer after attending a PLTW conference. In the Nick of Time Youngblood says he was “plain lucky” to be the winner of the Afinia H480 3D printer. “I had a 3D printer at my last school. Then I began teaching at Central, which had a number of 3D printers… but they didn’t work well, and we sent them back. I was definitely excited, and thought it was great timing, when I found out I had won the Afinia H480 for my classroom a couple [Read more…]

Brian Miles is the Computer Technology Teacher & Technology Integrator at Middleton Cross Plains Area School District. He’s passionate about finding new ways to use technology for learning and exploring. Getting Inspired by 3D Printing Miles talks with his students about the H800 and 3D printing technology. The first time Brian Miles used a 3D printer was a couple of years ago, when his school’s industrial tech class got a 3D printer for their curriculum. “They were doing 3D drawing, imaging, and drafting, so they acquired a 3D printer, and let students try it,” explains Miles. “After that experience, I wanted to get another 3D printer for the school, because [Read more…]

Sean Huxter is an avid “Afiniac” who uses his H479 and H480 3D printers to create impressive toys and collector accessories, innovative household improvement pieces, and thoughtful gifts. When Quality 3D Prints Get Noticed Afiniac Sean Huxter admits that his Afinia 3D printers rarely get to rest. In his latest interview, Huxter described his most recent prints, and told us about his recent Maker Faire experience. Huxter printed a rack of Emmett’s planetary gears to give away. (Design from Thingiverse). “One day, I was in a well-known bookstore, and they had recently gotten a 3D printer there, since they are trying to enter more of the technology industry,” explains Huxter. [Read more…]

Sean Huxter is an avid “Afiniac” who uses his H479 and H480 3D printers to create impressive toys and collector accessories, innovative household improvement pieces, and thoughtful gifts. The 3D Printing Revolution One of Huxter’s first pictures of his H479, right out of the box. Huxter had always dreamed of purchasing a 3D printer. “I wanted a machine like this before I even knew it existed,” he laughs. “I’ve been dreaming about it since I was about 7 years old!” Huxter got his first 3D printer—the Afinia H479—in June of 2013. “I wanted a printer so much that I gathered a bunch of collector toys I had laying around and [Read more…]

Ben Mininberg is an artistic action figure designer, who 3D prints his own creations. He recently upgraded to using the H800 3D printer. Mininberg has been artistically inclined for as long as he can remember. “I’ve loved robot characters, and a had a zillion Transformers,” he explains. “I always had a creative hobby, whether it be making things, drawing, or being artistic in some other way. At one point, I started making lots of model kits, but later decided it was more fun to come up with my own characters. So now, I design almost all my own action figures, and print them in ABS plastic so they can have [Read more…]

As technology progresses, so must curricula. The educators featured in this eBook have incorporated 3D printing technology into their students’ learning. This provides them with knowledge and experiences that will motivate, intrigue, and benefit them in countless ways. Thanks to each educator for telling their inspiring story. We hope you enjoy the ideas and experiences they’ve shared with us. Download the Afinia 3D Printer-Inspired Educators: Stories of Success, Volume III. If you’d like to read more stories of success, download our first eBook or second eBook, as well. [Read more…]

Jeff Tucker is a former Marine who currently works as a government contractor. In his spare time, he enjoys 3D printing RC car bodies and accessories for sale through his company, Inventeo3D. Tucker has been a fan of the Afinia brand since 2013, when he got his first Afinia H479 3D printer. Here’s where you can read more about Tucker’s work with the H479 3D printer. “Hiring” the Best 3D Printer Tucker’s light-up 3D-printed Star Wars display stand base, printed on his new Afinia H800 3D printer. “Before I got the Afinia H800 3D printer, I had a couple of other large-build 3D printers. I sold them both because they [Read more…]

Trevor Phillips is a media producer, and owner of Trevics Media, based in Seattle, WA. In the past, he’s worked for well-known TV series, including NCIS, CSI, and Dexter. If you’ve seen the popular television series NCIS or CSI, chances are you’ve seen some of Trevor Phillips’ work. Phillips is a media producer/playback artist who recently left Las Angeles to settle down in Seattle and start Trevics Media, a company offering video production, media, and animation services. “My job in LA was to create playback graphics,” explains Phillips. “For example, in NCIS when the cast enters Abby’s lab and works on the computer, the DNA scans and other computer images [Read more…]

Matt Trani is the co-owner of Vertical Vision, an unmanned aerial systems company that goes above and beyond the normal scope of hobbyist remote controlled and/or unmanned vehicles. Putting it all Together, With the Help of 3D The Scout is made up mainly of 3D printed parters, as well as a circuit board and carbon fiber tubes. “I didn’t have any 3D printing experience before I started my company,” admits Trani. “Actually, being introduced to 3D printing was a large part of what allowed me to start the company. I have an office at Saint Louis University, where I had the opportunity to engage with SLU students who showed me [Read more…]

The Afinia H800 has received its first user rating on the Afinia 3D store site, earning 5 of 5 stars: “This is an amazing printer. I had the h480 printer for years and loved it, but it was to small for some of my projects. This printer is even easier to set up and works perfectly every time. The large print volume is great and the enclosed print area keeps the parts from warping. I wish the software would let you adjust the temps to make it easier to use other brands and types of material, but I’m sure I can find a work around for that. I highly recommend [Read more…]

Jeffry Abel is an Engineering and ECAD instructor at Century College in White Bear Lake, MN. Abel has many years of 3D printing experience under his belt, and teaches both introductory, advanced students, and community members the art of 3D design, 3D printing, and making, through courses such as “How to Make Almost Anything.” The Introduction to 3D Printing, and the Afinia 3D Printer Abel’s class printed a test block to check the accuracy of dimensions of the printer. As an Engineering and ECAD instructor, Jeff Abel is a 3D printing expert. “I began using 3D printers in 2004, to do prototyping for medical industry projects,” explains Abel. “When I [Read more…]

Patrick Logan is a professional engineer with 33 years experience in manufacturing products from Bicycles to Space Stations. He currently works with small and start-up companies as a consulting engineer, designing products for performance and manufacture. He uses the Afinia 3D Printer to provide clients with a 3D print of their part. His website can be found at www.kridleytech.com. With over 30 years of manufacturing products under his belt, Patrick Logan is no newcomer to functional 3D design, or even the concept of 3D printing. However, it was only recently that Patrick began 3D printing designs himself, with the help of the Afinia 3D printer. “Currently, I work with small [Read more…]

Stuart Ferguson is the Head of Technology at The Foundry, a global developer of software for use in the design, visualization, and entertainment industries. Ferguson has been creating 3D graphics for 30 years, and recently began 3D printing with the Afinia H479 3D Printer. A 3D Printing Pioneer “I’ve been creating 3D graphics since shortly after the first Star Wars movie, but when I became interested in 3D printing I had no idea what to do. After reading MAKE Magazine’s 3D printer reviews, it was clear that Afinia was high quality, and would be easy to use, even for someone who isn’t overly technical. I’ve been very happy with it.” [Read more…]

Jason Rider is the Founder of Thriving Systems Design, LLC and inventor of the C-Bite Stake Coupling and Anchor System. We originally interviewed Rider in March of 2014, shortly after he began using the Afinia 3D Printer. Rider’s product is now being sold nationally, so we decided it was time for an update. Starting Local Rider’s C-bites can be combined in a number of different ways. “I started the C-Bite project in late 2013. I came up with the concept of C-Bite and knew how beneficial it could be. I also knew I would need a 3D printer to really get things going, not only in terms of prototyping, but [Read more…]

Dan is President and CEO of Mr. Speakers, makers of “The world’s first production 3D printed headphone”. His firm, located in San Diego, CA, is known for beautiful and high-functioning products. Dan is an electrical engineer with an MBA and founded MrSpeakers after he’d been working in, and around, the high-end audio market for over twenty years. He has designed both commercial and custom loudspeaker solutions, including the well-regarded Platinum Audio speakers from the late 1990’s. The Alpha Dog Their Alpha Dog product is a thing to behold: a beautiful headphone with highly finished, 3D printed cups and lamb-leather pads. Jude Mansilla, founder of Head-fi. Says, “The Alpha Dog is [Read more…]

Dot Silverman is an Electronics Designer at Instructables. She has a BA in Physics, with an emphasis in Engineering, and she is passionate about merging creativity and the sciences. — Experience 3D Printing: Art and Engineering 3D-printed mounts used in Silverman’s “Mobile Sun-Seeking Robot” project. “I was first introduced to 3D printing during my sophomore year of college, and started using 3D printers extensively when I joined the Instructables team. I’ve designed everything from ornamental products, like 3D-printed earrings, to more functional items, like 3D-printed components to hold down motors. I’ve found that the Afinia works well for all sorts of projects. Playing Favorites “We have a number of different [Read more…]